Robert Ritch

About Robert Ritch

Robert Ritch

Shelley and Steven Einhorn Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology; Surgeon Director Emeritus and Chief of Glaucoma Services at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, New York

Robert Ritch has devoted his career to broadening the understanding of the underlying etiologies and mechanisms of glaucoma, and developing innovative ways to treat the disease. While still a fellow in 1978, he performed the first laser iridotomy in New York and initiated the first course on laser treatment of glaucoma at the AAO – understandably, as he developed argon laser peripheral iridoplasty for the treatment of angle closure. An ebullient speaker that can engage audiences for hours on a topic he clearly loves, Ritch has educated thousands worldwide on the diagnosis and treatment of angle closure.